Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

House Passes Bill To Loosen Health Law Rule For Insurers Who Sell To Expat Workers

The White House, however, opposes the bill on grounds that it could weaken the health law's consumer protections, although it stopped short of threatening a veto.

The Associated Press: House Passes Bipartisan Fix To Health Law
The House approved bipartisan legislation Tuesday to exempt U.S. health plans sold to expatriate workers from having to comply with requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The measure, which passed 268-150, is aimed at helping U.S. insurance companies like Cigna and MetLife that are at a competitive disadvantage with foreign firms that do not have to comply with ACA requirements such as free preventive care and a ban on lifetime coverage limits. Sixty Democrats joined most Republicans in voting "yes," while 17 Republicans opposed the legislation. There is widespread agreement on the need for a fix under the health law for U.S.-written expatriate plans that can be sold to Americans working overseas and foreigners working here or elsewhere. But senior Democrats and the White House opposed the bill that was advanced Tuesday, saying it contained deal-killing loopholes (Werner, 4/29).

The Hill: White House Opposes Bipartisan O-Care Bill
The White House expressed opposition to a bipartisan bill that would loosen ObamaCare's rules for expatriates and workers who frequently travel in and out of the country, but stopped short of threatening to veto the legislation. In an official statement Tuesday, the Office of Management and Budget urged Congress to make "straightforward changes" to the legislation from Rep. John Carney (D-Del.) to ensure it does not weaken ObamaCare's consumer protections (Viebeck, 4/29).

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